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Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Granola Bars

Okay, time for a confession: I have a major “mom” purse. Yup, it’s large, in-charge and full of pretty much everything you and I both would need to stay alive on a deserted island for at least a week. Nope, not a mom – just prepared for incidentals.

Along with the Advil, WetOnes and tissues are, of course, a plentiful supply of granola bars. I absolutely love granola bars, but I especially love that when I’m on-the-go and craving a snack, I can grab one, gobble it up and feel nourished right away.

However, though I’ve been subsisting off of the boxes of Chewy store-bought bars for years and like them quite a bit, I’ve never had granola bars quite like these…

Armed with a can of pumpkin puree and lots of ideas, this recipe from Two Peas and Their Pod was my first choice, and I’m definitely glad I chose it!

I’m no expert baker, but you don’t have to be to make homemade granola bars. All it took was a few wet ingredients (in this case, pumpkin, applesauce and honey), old-fashioned oats, spices, and chocolate chips for extra sweetness and texture. Mix ’em together, press it all into a pan and bake!

I know you will enjoy these just as much as I have been. They’re so simple to make, even our outdoorsy friend Chris, who’s currently traveling the country in his RV could make them in his 20-square-foot kitchen (Hey, Chris! Make these now, you hear me?).

The pumpkin, applesauce and honey are so flavorful when mixed with the chewy oats, and the vanilla, chocolate chips and spices really make the whole thing like a delicious little autumn baked good you can keep in your pocket!

Directions:

In a medium bowl, whisk brown sugar, pumpkin, applesauce, honey, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour over oats and stir well, until all of the oats are moist. Stir in chocolate chips.

Evenly press oat mixture into prepared pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes, or until golden brown. The pumpkin keeps the bars moist, so make sure they are golden and set -you don’t want them to be under-baked.

Remove from oven and let cool completely. Using a sharp knife, cut into bars.

LOL… mom purse… I am actually pretty good about not having one of those. I just hate lugging around something so heavy! But I guess it’s more out of laziness than anything. These granola bars look amazing. My husband leaves a box of granola bars to munch on, maybe I will be a nice wife and make him some homemade ones. MAYBE. ;]By the way, loving the new profile picture! It’s new right?

Oh, these do look good! I’ve never made granola bars (or granola for that matter), but pumpkin chocolate chip would probably be first on my list. :) Also, I have a smallish purse, but it’s amazing how much crap ends up in it!

Can’t wait to try these, Gi, they look so tasty! Reminds me of my Mom-purse when you were a toddler. I went to comb my hair in the ladies room at an art museum and your Chicken McNuggets rolled out…two other Moms at the sink started chuckling. Not a word was exchanged, just a true “aahh jayzus!” moment.

It’s insane hoe easy some foods are to make, but we still buy them because of convenience. Based on this post, it’s pretty obvious that homemade granola bars not only taste better, but they’re healthier too! Thanks for sharing…it’s inspired me to throw those pre-packaged bars to the curb!

I have a mom purse too. And like you, mine is always full of snacks. Muffins, granola bars, bags of cut fruit. I can’t go anywhere without some goodies! These bars look great. I love the addition of pumpkin. I tend to buy granola bars as opposed to making them (which is a shame because homemade tastes so much better!) I will have to give these babies a try!

Georgia, these really look delicious. This is my first visit here and I’ve taken some time to browse through some of your earlier posts. I love the food and recipes you feature here. I’ll be back often. I hope you are having a great day. Blessings…Mary

I have *tons* of homemade roasted pumpkin in my freezer and keep looking for a use for it. These bars are perfect! Recipe is printed and I hope to try it soon! :) Usually I end up using my pumpkin to make this soup, but like you wrote above, what I often need is a quick snack to stash in the purse for an on-the-go pick-me-up. :) http://www.dishingthedivine.com/2011/01/10/winter-squash-soup/

I just made this recipe today, and I’m not quite sure when the granola bars are “done.” You said they should be golden, but the orange of the pumpkin is throwing me off. What are some other tell-tale signs that the bars should be done baking?

Hi Alyssa – The bars should be firm to the touch, so if 35-40 minutes isn’t giving you that result, I would add 5-10 more minutes. After allowing the pan to cool on the counter, it also helps to refrigerate the whole pan of granola for easy cutting. Hope that helps!

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